Objections to the proposed introduction of parking charges at Langsett Reservoir
UPDATE
I am delighted to hear that following my campaign, launched on July 27, and supported so widely, Barnsley MBC have refused planning permission for the installation of car parking payment infrastructure at the Langsett Flouch Car Park - which will mean the planned charges are unlikely to be introduced. The Langsett Barn Car Park application is still to be considered by the Peak Park Authority, and I have reiterated my objections to that proposal. Any further plans to introduce parking charges will also be resisted.
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Many local residents and business owners have contacted me to express their deep concerns that Yorkshire Water have submitted plans to introduce parking charges at the Langsett Barn car park (adjacent to Langsett Reservoir).
In mid-July I was pleased to meet with the owners of the Waggon and Horses pub and Langsett Parish Council Chairman, Peter Horner, to discuss the specifics of these rconcerns. On July 27 I wrote to Yorkshire Water to set out the specific reasons why local people believe these charges to be a bad idea, at the same time urging local residents and businesses to object to these unhelpful charges.
Cllr Peter Horner said:
We know that if this scheme goes ahead, visitors will find alternative places to park. That means parking dangerously on the verges of the A616 or on the narrow roads of the village, blocking residents and access by emergency vehicles.
The owners of the 300 year old Waggon and Horses pub believe the car park charges could make their business financially unviable after two tough years during the pandemic. Rachel Battye, who owns the pub with her sister Vanda said:
We already struggle with walkers using our car park and preventing our customers from coming to the pub. If Yorkshire Water go ahead with the scheme, visitors to the area will park in our car park to avoid paying, and it could be the end of the pub, which has been here for over 200 years
The evidence is clear - this decision will have a detrimental impact on local amenity due to displacement parking - put simply cars who have to pay to park will simply look for free parking elsewhere. During the pandemic I witnessed this myself when Yorkshire Water temporarily closed the car park. This led to the an immediate increase in dangerous parking along the verges of the A616. This is a major highway with a speed limit of 60 miles an hour - it is quite simply not safe for pedestrians including children to walk along the side of and cross this road.
This displacement parking is also likely to restrict emergency vehicles gaining access to the smaller residential roads in and around Langsett. This is of particular concern to the elderly residents of the Parish and not an unfounded fear; South Yorkshire Police recently had to be called out to the area to tow offending vehicles away.
Perhaps as importantly, these new parking charges, will limit access to the reservoir to those who can afford them . This is a beautiful and treasured local asset and it is quite wrong to limit access in this way - all those who wish to visit this site should be easily and safely able to do so. This is particularly important right now as global inflation puts pressure on the cost of living, meaning more people – especially families with children and pensioners on fixed incomes – look for lower-cost recreational activities.
The charges may seem small for some, for others the cost will be prohibitive and the result will be that fewer people have access to the health and wellbeing benefits offered by the reservoir and its surrounding area. This is quite unacceptable. The best way to make representation is to object to the plan on the local planning portals.
I have spoken to representatives of Yorkshire Water have raised my objections on the portal, and as noted above, have written to Peak Park Planning Authority and Barnsley MBC to register my strong objections. You can read my letter in full below, in which I set out in detail the case against the introduction of changes at this treasured local asset.
